“Singh seems to share the late Ambani’s fondness for experimenting with media investments. He has bought a big stake in Anant Media Pvt Ltd, which publishes the Tehelka magazine.

“The company’s plans to launch a business daily, the Financial World, were aborted in January because Singh is said to have reneged on a promised 100 crore.

“Singh denies this. He says the decision to call off the venture was entirely Tehelka’s. “I am a silent investor in Anant Media. I don’t interfere in the day-to-day affairs.”

“Tarun J Tejpal, editor-in-chief of Tehelka and a promoter of Anant Media, concurs. “All the calls, including the one to scale down the project and rejig it for a far more modest existence, were mine.” Tejpal says Singh has never called asking for anything or suggesting anything. “I hope it stays that way.”

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K.D. Singh with the then speaker of the US house of representatives, Nancy Pelosi, in October 2010, in Washington DC

For a wannabe media owner, K.D. Singh has enjoyed what, at best, can be described as a colourful political life.